Illegal trade of sun bear parts in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak

Abstract

Malaysia is a known source and consumer of bear bile products in Asia, and sun bears are persistently poached to meet the demand for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Surveys of TCM outlets in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak were conducted in 2018 and 2019 as part of continuing efforts to monitor the availability of bear bile products in the country. Despite being illegal, the trade in bears and their parts persists, although with fewer TCM outlets offering such products in comparison to numbers reported in previous studies. In 2012, 42% of TCM outlets in Sabah and 35.4% in Sarawak were found to contain bear bile products. This has since dropped to 35% in Sabah and 19.3% in Sarawak in 2018-2019. Gall bladders were the main type of commodity for sale in both states, and were reportedly sourced predominantly by indigenous people. It was evident that most retailers surveyed were aware that the trade in bears and their parts was strictly prohibited, and some traders claim to have stopped selling illegal bear products for this reason. However, some traders who continue to trade in these illegal commodities have become more discreet. These factors contribute to the reduction in TCM outlets observed selling bear bile products. This reduction may also be due to diminishing sun bear populations, as some traders have claimed to have stopped selling bear bile products because of the rarity of or difficulty in procuring genuine bear gall bladders. The threat of illegal trade, combined with loss and degradation of suitable habitat and food resources as well as conflict with humans, puts sun bears at considerable risk. Efforts to mitigate these threats are urgently needed. Reduction of demand for bear parts is essential, as is stronger legal protection, enhanced enforcement and increased community involvement in bear conservation actions to ensure the long-term survival of viable bear populations in Asia.

Aktuelle Artenschutzprobleme im Kontext der Traditionellen Chinesischen Medizin1

“…Arten- und Tierschützer sind seither alarmiert, da diese Rezeptur u.a. Bärengalle beinhaltet (s. Tabelle 1 ): Zum einen ist nun ein erneuter Anstieg der Wilderei auf wilde Bären in China wie auch in anderen asiatischen Ländern zu befürchten ( EIA 2020a ; Embury-Dennis 2020 ; Gomez 2020 ); betroffen sind hiervon v.a. Malaienbär ( Helarctos malayanus ) und Kragenbär ( Ursus thibetanus ) — beide Arten sind auf der Internationalen Roten Liste als gefährdet eingestuft, die Wilderei für die TCM ist einer der Gründe dafür ( Nijman et al 2017 ; Scotson et al 2017 ; Garshelis & Steinmetz 2016 ).…”

Bear bile use at the intersection of maternal health in Cambodia

“…Although bear bile/gallbladder is widely used across East and Southeast Asia for a variety of ailments [21,23,26], there are currently no published, peer-reviewed articles that document its use in women's health. Here, our focus is on bear bile's use by Khmer women in Cambodia for uterine, pregnancy, and post-partum ailments.…”

Short Communication: Wildlife species used as traditional medicine by local people in Indonesia

“…These species were commonly used elsewhere as traditional medicine. Sun Bear, specifically its bile, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years (Gomez et al 2020). The meat, scales and body parts of Sunda Pangolin and other seven other pangolin species have been widely used as traditional medicine worldwide (Wang et al 2020).…”